Has your energy company let you down?

Following yesterday's announcement that Ofgem, the energy regulator, is investigating alleged mis-selling by npower, one of the UK's top energy suppliers, Times Money is conducting its own study of how the energy companies treat their customers.

Have you got a story of mis-selling, shoddy service or poor treatment that you would like to tell us about? If so please post your comments below.

Comments

[MG]

After having a dual fuel contract with nPower, I never received the £60 cash back for the year. I contacted the company and was informed it would be deducted from next bill. It never did. Eventually I was informed that some muppet* in customer services had set-up the account with separate direct debits for gas and electricity so because it was not a single DD I did not qualify for the cash back. I changed service provider and quickly saved more money due to lower costs.
nPower phoned only a few weeks ago to see if I want to switch back. I explained the above as reason why I would never use them again.
* not actual word used by customer service

[Werner Schulz]

My meter was replaced with a new model on 2 Nov 2007.
In December I received a bill inflated by 1100 units on the old meter (I have a receipt from the meterman to prove this).
I contacted the npower helpline 6 times, being told that the oversight would be rectified - but it was not. I wrote to the ombudsman who sent me leaflets and said they could not help unless we had followed npower grievance procedure. The ombudsman gave me npowers address in Newcastle to which I addressed my letter of complaint. The letter was sent on 20.3.08 and I have heard absolutely nothing so far.
It is infuriating how these energy companies try to get away with their shoddy practises.
The battle continues...

[Jamie Myatt]

EDF Energy gives worse than shoddy service.

WHY YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO BE A CUSTOMER OF EDF ENERGY.

There is clearly a lack of professionalism across other large energy suppliers eg EDF energy..
I have just been holding on the telephone for 37 minutes trying to find out the progress on a refund & have been hindered for 26 days awaiting an accurate invoice.

The appaling service standards at EDF energy were highlighted by:
1.Overcharging by at least £493. Production of an inaccurate invoice to the consumer, .
2. EDF were called upon the receipt of the incorrect invoice & its service staff member agreed " The bill is still wrong" & that EDF were"Charging you for the £493.67 twice"

I have now been waiting since 2nd April for the production of a "Manual invoice which should take 10 days" So that I can then call their customer "Dis service" department to then start the process again!
Ten days to produce an invoice is very poor, a manual invoice requirement shows that the EDF invoicing system has a problem.
None provison of a manual invoice promised by EDF staff, after spending hours on the telephone is a sign of EDF's appaling customer service

I called back on the 9th of April & spent the customery 12 minutes + holding on line with the result being that the invoice hasn't been produced yet & called back again today & the same conversation took a total of 37 minutes!!

Points to note are:
EDF service is very poor
EDF's billing system has a problem
EDF when asked to send a cover leter explaining what went wrong do not respond.

EDF I'm still waiting!
J.M
London account number 736 300 *** 2021

[Bryan Bulloch]

I am an npower customer buying my gas and electricity under the Standard Sign On-line 6 tariff, paying by monthly DD. I checked with uswitch and found that npower's latest tariff (Sign On-line 10) would save me more than 10% on my bills. Here is npower's answer to my request to change tariffs:
"Thanks for your email regarding your Sign On Line tariff.

I can understand your quest to save money on your energy bills with the wholesale costs soaring over recent years we are all feeling the pinch. However, we are not in a position at this time to change you on to our SOL 10 tariff. This tariff is currently only being offered to new customer.

You are a valued customer Mr [X] and if we can help you in any other way please do not hesitate to contact us."

You bet I'm a valued customer! (but not for long).

[serry]

Having used a search engine a few weeks ago to look for a new dual fuel supplier, my best option was Npower. I applied online then received a letter stating that as I was in a new property there was a surcharge of £30 a year. As my road is all new houses, and only has the one postcode, I am surprised that it wasn't picked up in the initial search.

[Clive]

What about Npower's practice of using estimated meter readings sometimes for years and then when an actual reading is taken, charging all the difference to that quarter when it should have been pro rats'd over previous periods. Result - Npower receive in excess of their charges - is that fair?

[Sue Claret]

About six months ago I received a visit from an Npower rep who persuaded me to join (no standing charge and cheaper prices). Approx 4 weeks later, before I had even changed over completely their prices rocketed. I immediately cancelled my application and am now with Scottish Power

[Christopher Green]

In May 2007 while visiting the Grand Designs Show at Excel in London, we were approached by an npower representitive, who asked as who our gas and electric supplier were. He assured us that npower would be cheaper. He asked us the size of the house and our current monthly payment. We told him that at that time we were paying £150.00 per month. He laughed and stated that on his calculation we only needed to pay £80.00 per month if paying by direct debit and signed up today. Additionally we would get a free years supply of the grand design magazine. We unfortunately agreed to change to npower on the basis that he claimed we were paying too much and npower could drastically reduce our monthly repayments. These were set to £80.00 per month. This month I have received a statement from npower informing me that I owe them £706.00. This is in addition to the money paid monthly. The npower representive when selling to us clearly reduced the monthly costs of providing us elecrity and gas just to get us to change suppliers. We feel tricked. Also we never received the grand design magazine.

[Anthony WALKER]

I have moved from Npower as a supplier of my electricity - I do not agree with their policy of differential charging by Area when my County supplies a lot of their wind power, but I get charged more than someone in the Midlands!

I am also very suspicious of the two tier of charges - the first units charged at so much up to 750kWh, or whatever figure, in a year when they bill over that amount in a quarterly account! There should just be one blanket charge - end of story!

Ofgem, or whatever they now call themselves, are a complete and utter total wast of time!

[Alison Bayliss]

My Mum of 87 years decided to act on a leaflet from Age Concern which suggested that EON might offer a competitive price against NPower for dual fuel. She was quoted £59 pm, £10 less than NPower. NPower rang for a final metre reading and my Mum was asked to pay £400 for Gas and 79p for Electric for her final bill. She queried the bill, which she was told was correct, and was still told that if she wanted to continue with them the monthly payment would still be £69/£70 pounds. She then rang EON again to see what thay had to say and she was persuaded that the bill must be correct and that she obviously had not been paying enough each month. EON then suggested that instead of £59 she should really be paying a more realistic figure of £100 pm. After a quick recovery my Mum suggested that as it was coming to the summer months perhaps it shouldn't be so much. £90 was considered more reasonable, although the advisor's advice extended to "or as you like". It seems like they are just plucking figures out of the air that will attract new customers rather than checking the reality. It leaves people like my Mum (and me) completley confused and concerned. By the way she lives in a modest 3 bed detached house and is anxious to maintain her independence.

[Nick Critchlow]

I have been with Scottish Power on a dual fuel, economy 7 direct debit account at £279.00/month. I discovered that they charge a higher daytime rate for economy7 customers than ordinary customers. I have been promised a call by their accounts people but have been left to stew. They are about to lose a long time customer!!? NC

[Andrew]

From what I remember, the public announcement of npower's latest price rise was back-dated. So it was coincidence that I gave them an actual meter reading 3 days after the price rise point. Imagine my surprise therefore when, out of a total billing period of 61 days, they allocated over 16% of the actual units used to the 3 days (i.e 5% of the total time) of higher prices. I was furious! After complaining, they recalculated my bill, and said it was a one-off. But when their systems are electronic and automatic, I refuse to believe that I am the ONLY one who got erroniously charged for a disproportionately high number of units at the HIGHER price. Outrageous.

[Andrew]

The other thing about npower is that they recalculated my Direct Debit payments in February using 18 months worth of estimated bills. So two winter's worth. Talk about fleecing you.

[David G Casement]

My gas bill from nPower was so large last year that I went through my bills with a fine tooth-comb. I found that they had charged me twice for almost the whole of one year's supply of gas. It took three long telephone conversations with their customer service staff (three different people) before someone agreed with my findings. They did put it right for me I am happy to say. However, I have just had my monthly payment to them put up from £31 to £59 because the bill has become so large. I have been out of the country for two whole months over the Winter when the heating has been set at 50 degrees for two one-hour periods each day. I am going to go through my bills again to see how this leap in balance has occurred. I am not happy at having to do all this checking which takes some time to do accurately.

[TA]

Was recently approached by a salesman for npower in my local Woolworths. A promise of 100 pounds credit convinced me to switch and sign on the dotted line.
Bad move.
I read the small print at home:
i) British Gas or EDF would have to be shown to be more expensive over a 12 month period then npower. npower, of course, working out the calculation!
ii) The payment would be UP TO 100 pounds but 50 max for each fuel i.e. the full 100 very unlikely.
iii) Direct Debit required. There was no way that I would have been able to set up the direct debit within the offer period since it had almost finished already.
Having read this, of course, I realised the wool had been pulled over my eyes re: 100 pounds but it was too late, the rep had already left the store when I returned.
The rep had told me I had to wait for the npower letter of confirmation first and would then have 14 days to cancel (cooling off period). Not so! It is 14 days from date of contract not receipt of letter - their letter is sent AFTER the cooling off period has expired.
Wouldn't touch npower with a barge pole now!

[Jacqueline Rokotnitz]

I had a TWO YEAR battle with EDF. Out of a clear blue sky, May before last, instead of my usual electricity bill of, say £200 plus/minus, I got a bill of close on £1,000!!. I called them and said "This is completely impossible. We are overseas half the time. We are two little old people. We couldn't even if we wanted use that much electricity. There are no appliances which could use that amount of power" ..etc. etc., EDF would NEVER accept that this was a faulty reading/decimal error/whatever. In the end, after two years of arguing, disputing, spending hours on the phone and so on, we simply changed to what is now e-on. And of course, out of shere weariness, paid. I resent it to this day. Jacqueline Rokotnitz

[Paul Rogers]

I have recieved appaling service from Scottish Power ever since I transferred by Gas/Elec account to them in 2002. Every time I recieve a bill it is incorrect, they have taken money out of my account by D/D without my prior notice and approve and they cannot keep to agreements which they have made in writing to me. I would never recommend them to anyone, however I doubt whether this is an isolated incident. It is systematic of the failure of utility companies to provide an even basic level of customer service.

[john morley]

yes,
i changed over to southern electric / gas in december / january this year after finding we would save some £ 160 peryear & being much less than powergen/EON only to be informed now that they to are increasing prices from April 1st by some 10 - 12% they originally told me i would be on a fixed term for the first year but have reneged on our january deal requested information as to why only to be told that all rates and charges are being increased across the board. this is not fair on anyone especially older people and low income earners but typical of greedy companies who make promises and don't fulfil them.
john m

[Alistair Nicholls]

I have been trying to switch my electricity supply from npower for at least 6 months. Everytime my new supplier tries to take over the supply, npower refuses.

npower did (eventually) agree to switch my gas supply to this new supplier more than 3 months ago.

I thought I had switched my electricity 4 months ago, but 1 month ago I received a bill from npower.

npower's administration is an absolute disgrace. This is not the first time that I have moved house and tried to get rid of them as soon as I move in.

[Rodney Collins]

A NPower representative came to my house last year and promised that my monthly cost would reduce and my current supplier charges for this and that and they do not. I decided to change but am now in the process of looking again as I am not happy with my current costs. They are obviously hoping that as with most things the public will be to lazy to leave them. Well I for one won't be.

[Marie Adams]

I have been a customer of npower for a few years without any problems until the last couple of years. I pay by monthly direct debit for both gas and electricity (separately). In 2006 they decided to increase my electricity direct debit to an amount with which I did not agree - I was in credit and the increase would just have given them more of my money in their hands. I rang and rang and rang, speaking to so many different people who just kept informing me that the computer could not change the increased direct debit amount nor could it take into account the amount of credit. I teach computing and told them that was a load of rubbish!! Eventually, after months of arguing they put my direct debit back to the original amount and I am still in credit to this date. Recently, with the gas price increases of 17% they have increased my direct debit by 50% even though, once again, I am still in credit. I have phoned so many times and got nowhere. Each person I speak to tells me they will look into it and get back to me - but no-one has yet! As you can guess I am extremely unhappy with their customer service which is appalling.

[Peter Mundy]

My problem with electricity suppliers is that I cannot find any supplier who will provide an Economy 10 quote. This is a three rate system, day energy, night energy and stored heat energy. There are many consumers who have this problem and I would like to look at an alternative to Southern Electric, my current supplier.

[Hazel Scott]

We have been with Staywarm for several years and last year paid £84 a month for gas and electricity - 2 pensioners in 3 bedroomed detached and very cold house. This year they have upped our payments to £194.00 a month, which we are really struggling to pay. E-on say they cannot tell if our attempts at cutting down the energy we use (and do not waste) are to any avail.We have taken and acted upon advice on conserving heat.Hazel Scott

[Peter R]

What do you mean energy price rises of UP TO 17%?

Yes, our gas went up 17% but they tried to put our electricity up by 24.7%!!!!!

and which is why nPower are no longer our energy supplier

[Mr P Dowding]

I recieved notification of the price increase 20 days after it was implemented. Npower said they can implement a price change overnight and tell the customer later. Yet they want customers to give them a minimum of ten days notice to provide a change of service.

They refused to explain how the 17% increase was calculated and said the price of oil, gas and coal had increased. The % increase they stated are not substaniated by the market. They refuse to acknowledge they by in volume from wholesale suppliers on long term contracts.

They claimed that thay had implemented a price reduction in 2007 which is not true.

First the price reduction only applied to Gas and Electricity users not Electricity users.

Second the price reduction was for signing up to a montly direct debit, which is not a price reduction but an admin saving and cashflow beneift to them.

They refused to comment on the price increases they applied to the German market. After all if Oil has gone up does it not apply across all their markets. My view is that UK profits are helping keep German prices down

Phil Dowding

[John Doidge]

I have been in contact with British gas re the price of electricity increase from February this year on my Click 4 tarriff. They advertised that the increase was 18.6% but the saver 7 increase was 100%, and as 80% of the electricity I use is on Saver 7 my increase is very high.
I am in the process of changing my supplier as a result

[David Osman]

I have been trying to get npower to verify my meter readings since December 2007.

I beliece they are transposing the Economy 7 and normal readings.

I get passed from person to person duplicate letters posted the same day and long waits for the canswering of 'phone calls.

Finally the executive complaints Team appear to have found the 'right' person to check my meter, the previous 3 havingf been the wrong ones. I wait to see if the problem will now be resolved.

[Delyse Phillips]

Two years ago after a comparison search we switched to npower d/d dual supply from British Gas/LEB.
We were quoted a saving of 29% from £948 pa to £647.67 pa, ie monthly payments of £34.50 and £22.

A discount was also promised for dual/dd billing, but this has never appeared on any paperwork.

Monthly payments of £65/£77 are now being taken, equivalent to £1704 pa, approaching three times as much as two years ago.
The electricity charge has nearly doubled and the gas bill risen to 3.5 times the original amount. The requirement is the same - one person home all the time.

On the comparison site there are currently quoted 38 suppliers who can supply cheaper, and British Gas apparently offer a reduction to £543.74 pa - but this is over £400 pa cheaper than they were charging two years ago before price increases! And also npower is quoted on the site as offering my consumption for £769 pa?

The basic calculations for consumption are extremely complicated, and the inceases so frequent, it is difficult to know exactly where you are when trying to work out consumption and bills. I have spent hours working it all out and trying to obtain relevant information.
But the sort of figures I am getting add up to some sort of gross misrepresentation/gross incompetence all round. Who am I to believe, and how can I get a fair deal? Or even a response from my supplier?

There is something very wrong here.

[Paul]

Re npower. Gas customers of npower since before 1st Nov. 2007 are victims of massive overcharging by npower.( I cannot comment on electricity). They advertise to charge you 4572 (gas) units per annum at a high rate and the remainder at a lower rate. Since 1st April 2007- 1st April 2008 I have been charged in excess of 6500 units at the high rate.Npower say that in Nov 2007 they changed the way they charge for the 4572 and this entitles them to zero the year and start again. In other words a year is 6 months or as many months as they decide. For me this has meant an overcharge of £120 and will be the same for all their gas customers to a greater or lesser extent. If it averaged at £50 per customer that would be around £200 million bonus for npower. Check your gas bills over the last 12 months and see how many units you were charged at the high rate.

[Geoffrey Briggs]

I buy domestic electricity from SWALEC and have never had a problem of any kind with them. Previously I was with Independent Energy and Powergen and they were a complete shambles. Poweregen once sent me a final demand for over £5000! Most of the Electicity industry is an example of how not to run a business. The regulators should be got rid of pronto.

[david smith]

Invaluable advise for all consumers,
Get a book and record meter readings at least once a week and when your meter reader visits. I also have experienced nPower muddling up meter readings on an economy 7 tarif. Mt record of usage proved invaluable in getting their mistake rectified.
dave
In this way you will create a foot print of your usage over time that can be used to check against your bill.

[GS]

In November 07 I switched my electricity from E.ON to British Gas to take advantage of their dual energy and Energy5 discount and set up direct debits to get the additional savings. In February 08 I received a bill from British Gas. When I phoned to query it, after spending 45 minutes on the phone to them, it transpired that they had forgotten/ or lost the instructions, to set up the direct debits for both the electricity and gas.
Asssured that this would be processed immediately i foolishly thought it to be sorted. In February I received confirmation that a monthly direct debit has been set up, and I promptly phoned to sort that out (another 45minutes)- it should have been a quarterly arrangement. By now two bills which should have been paid in February, were set up to be paid in March. to date the payments have still not gone through and the latest is a letter threatening legal action - OH DEAR! what next? - 6 months and still not sorted -
I guess a letter to Ofgas and the Chairman of British Gas.....

[Lorraine]

My meter was changed on Nov 1st 2007. Since then I have received a bill from Npower for nearly £600 EXTRA for last year. Npower SAY the old meter was an imperial one and I should have been paying 3 times more than I was as I had been charged as if it was a metric meter. They say they are KINDLY only charging me extra for last year and they could charge me thousands if they backdated it any further. The meter which was taken out has mysteriously disappeared and I have no way of proving that it was actually a metric meter. Although I have taken this to the Ombudsman, I cannot prove anything about the old meter so it looks as if I will have to pay. My new meter is metric and I have used almost exactly the same number of units over this winter as I did last winter so logically they are both metric meters. There must be some way of tracing meters removed from houses but I seem to have hit a brick wall even though I have contacted Transco and Northern Gas Networks who deal with meter exchanges.

[Robin]

There are alot of companies with "good intentions" but unfortunately there are times when people or companies in positions of power only seem to listen when it comes down to us giving them money, but when us (the consumer) tries to get money back it seems such a long process.

some of the companies do not seem to realise that people in less fortunate possitions may need the money that has been taken wrongly. The phrase "money makes the world go around" should not be the case, it should be the case that companies realise that without us the consumer they would not be where they are today.
You should contact the telecommunications ombudsman!

[Dan Drage]

My energy supplier, E.on, supplies me with concise and easy to understand billing information, and I’ve never had to take issue with a bill I’ve received in all honesty. The direct debits come out of my account on a pre-ordained day, and I’ve just received my online ‘energy tracker’, which allows me to check my energy usage on a daily basis. Although they’re far from the cheapest in my area, I’m happy enough with the level of service to stick with them. Having been the victim of xenophobic doorstepping techniques by another leading energy company ('how do you like having your energy supplied by Germans?'), i'm fairly satisfied with my energy supplier right now.

[Dan Drage]

I read today that npower are piloting a new eco-aware scheme, costing £20 million, aimed towards getting students to think ecologically. The scheme is fronted by Piers Morgan and Fearne Cotton. So how much of that £20 million goes into their pockets i wonder?

[Maulik]

We were with BritishGas
& PowerGen
& eON

Let me tell you, never ever joing those ideots!
even if they 'offer' 50% reduction in your bill.

Thier customer service is noexistant..

We are very happy with Scottish Power.

Thier service is far better then anybody else.

We had a problem with our old meter and they sorted it out with new digital meter...and will not charge us for the period.

also, thier customer service number always get answered within 5 minutes..
also, they know what they are talking about...

(unlike B.G and others.... B.G/eON employs muppets or untrained monkeys..)

[Steve]

I have been with Scottish Power for about 9 years now and have been satisfied with their service. However I recently received notification from them stating that they are going to increase my monthly direct debit by 55% and I am in credit plus summer is on the way so less gas/electricity will be used. I know prices have gone up and we are being told that further increases will be coming later in the year, but 55% is a bit much. Up to now I have nearly always been in credit and thats over the whole 9 years. It is getting so expensive to live in this country, the door with UK EXIT above it, is looking more and more attractive.

[D J White]

I was a dissatisfied npower customer and have now moved on. My problem and this may affect thousands of their gas or dual fuel customers was with regard to what they call the Primary Block units, those units charged at the higher rate. My contract stated that I would be charged 4572 kWh units at the higher price and the rest at the lower rate. After 11 months I had been charged 5939 units at the higher rate. After lots of phone calls and promises to look into the matter (I was told it was sculpting - seasonal averaging to you and me) I went to energywatch who put me through to a senior customer relations advisor of npower where I spoke to someone who at last knew what they were talking about. He admitted they had a big problem with their systems and that many people could have a similar problem to me and agreed that I would get a £41 rebate with my next gas bill. A few days later I received a letter from npower asking me to call them. I explained that I had spoken to someone who knew what they were doing and was happy with the outcome, I was then told that I wouldn't get the refund and that the problem was my fault because they hadn't read my meter every 91 days, I was never at any time asked to send in meter readings so that they could bill me I only phoned in readings if the bills were wildly out. I then contacted energywatch again and they took up my problem. npower have backtracked and credited my account with the £41 and written to explain what went wrong. It only took three months to sort out.

If The Times would like a copy of the letter I received from npower I will put it in the post or email it to you. Fortunately I have always been very numerate, goodness only knows how someone who isn't is expected to understand it.

I must stress that it is possible that there are thousands of npower customers who have been incorrectly billed. I don't think npower expect people to check their bills as closely as I check mine.

David White

[A Wieser]

I too have had a problem with nPower. I've been reading my meters daily or weekly for some energy monitoring I'm doing, so when the prices went up in January, and they massively underestimated my bill, I sent them a correct reading.

They took ages to respond, and eventually generated a bill that I never received, so I couldn't tell what rate I was charged at. So I requested a copy. Instead, the recalculated all of my bills back to October, using my new reading, but to my surprise, my balance due went up by £40!

On further investigation, it appears that I too have fallen foul of their charging for more higher rate units that was on my contract. I've pointed this out to them, but I guess it's time to contact energy watch, as they haven't responded to my enquiry on the contact form.

[Martin]

You said that npower increased prices by "up to 17%" in January, this year. I DREAM of an increase of only 17% (LUGGGSUUURRRRYYYY!). We live on the border of the East & West Mids and Npower increased our electricity prices (we have no gas supply) by 25% in January. How's that for an increase??

[Stella Butler]

I moved into my current home nearly 3 years ago. At my previous property I was with British Gas but at this property I am with npower. I will be moving soon & will not be using either of these suppliers ever again. When I moved into this rented property it took some time to find out who was the energy supplier. In trying to find out I did speak to British Gas but never entered into any agreement with them as I discovered that npower were the provider. I decided to stay with npower until I received my first account before deciding what to do in the long term. About the time I received my first bill from npower I also received a bill from British Gas. They had not only sent me an account for a meter that was not at my property but they had actually set up a direct debit arrangement and removed money from my account using the records they had on file from when I was their customer at my previous address. Considering the fact that they had in effect stolen money from me, I never got what I would consider a proper apology and it took months and many phone calls before the money was refunded. Now for npower. I have been paying utility bills for over 40 years now & have always preferred not paying estimated bills, but especially now as the market is so volatile. I was away from home during the early part of January and returned home to find an estimated bill for the period October to January. In my experience bills are generally oversetimated but this bill was patently underestimated. I immediately read my meter but it was not accepted and npower refused to provide a new account. I caved in & paid the original bill. I have since read my meter for the period January to April and this was accepted and received a huge bill which has placed me in severe financial difficulties. I am now challanging npower over these 2 bills. I am not disputing the units of electricity used over the 2 periods. However, I am challanging the low estimate of units used in the January account at a time when their charges had been put up by 17%. The subsequent effect of refusing my meter reading in January is that I am now being charged for a lot of units obviously used during October to January at 17% higher than I should be. I have talked to family, friends & colleagues and of those who are also npower customers, many of them relate the same experience - absolute daylight robbery.

[Lynn Manfroi]

Despite being in credit EON decided that they were going to put our direct debit up. When questioned why it was because they were looking after our interests. Our bills would go up by this time next year and by increasing our monthly payment we would be even more in credit so could withstand this rise. It took the intervention of EnergyWatch before they would put the direct debit back to previous amount.

[Michael Spencer]

It took me 6 months to get EON to pay me the credit that had accumulated after they had increased the amount paid on my direct debit, and then they only wanted to do it in part. I wonder how much money they are earning in interest from the accumulation of overpayments?

[A Wieser]

Well, since I raised the issue on the 5th of May, nPower still hasn't managed to find my online correspondence to them, so I rang them up this morning. They've raised a complaint about the over charging of higher priced units internally, so hopefully, I should get a response in about 10 days time.

It's interesting that the number of high priced units I was billed for was 5742 when the contracted amount was 4752. It's almost like someone mixed up the digits in the software somewhere.

I did manage to find a toll free number for nPower customer support: 0800 551 555, so if anyone else has this problem, that's the number to start with.

[Richard Armstrong]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I was shocked to receive a gas bill for £1,678.01 from Powergen last week.

It transpires that my gas usage for this bill has been calculated using actual readings and I was advised that my gas meter has not been read since I moved into the house in May 2003.

I was advised that my electrical meter readings have been a combination of actual and estimated readings. I use Powergen for both gas and electricity supply to my property.

We have never received any notice that there were any difficulties reading our gas meter at any time and my wife is in the house throughout most days, caring for our baby daughter.

I always pay my bills and have never had cause to suspect any difficulties as the amounts concerned were commensurate with previous readings in another property of a similar size, allowing for the significant increases implemented by Powergen in recent times.

I cannot conceive of how a miscalculation of my usage of gas energy of this magnitude could have been made.

I am prudent with my usage of heating as we do not enjoy an overheated house (both my wife and I were brought up without central heating).

I think that the first course of action would be for Powergen to arrange for an inspection of my gas meter to ensure that there is no fault with the unit.

If this proves to eliminate any possibility of a meter error, we will then need to discuss how Powergen have failed to carry out a gas meter reading over a four year period.

I would also like to discuss how the value for the cost of the gas used will be calculated. Gas prices have both increased significantly and declined slightly over a four year period.

The bill has since been reduced to £1,630.93 (hardly a cause for celebration) but remains an amount ( in addition to all of my other Powergen gas bills that I have paid) that I cannot comprehend at all.

I spoke to Ravinder from your customer services department to voice my concerns on 15/9/07 and to verify the meter serial number in use at my property.

I hope that we can find a resolution to this issue which is causing a lot of sleepless nights and very stressful situations within my family.

I await your reply

Thank you

Richard Armstrong

[suzie]

after having misfortune of working at british gas for a couple of months the true horror of all of this is revealed. desperate people phoning up wanting their money reinbursed, only for managers to deny it. surely this is illegal? they should be demanded to repay all that is owed. this is across the board and is made worse by the incompetant people these big companies employ

[G Mancini]

I bought a house in 2002 but didn’t move in straight away but three months later, as it was coming to winter I thought if we still keep paying the bill then it would be easy to handle the cost of electric and gas for the winter months. Before winter we had an npower meter reading and it showed that we were far ahead of what we should be and so they sent a corrected bill setting the current reading as the norm, but I had already paid for all those units and was on the phone to them but no matter what I said I got no joy and in the end I switched so npower did me out of over £100 and I would never go back to them

[suzie]

oh yes, and if you do ever have a problem which some idiot on the end of the phone will not help with, or put you through to a manager, you can do either of these two things to be 'heard' and actually dealt with:
1. say you are going to energy watch instantly
2. say you are going to the papers.

either of these makes them very nervous

[werner Schulz]

Update:
My meter was changed on 2 Nov 2007. In december I got an over-estmated bill for 1100 units for the period 20 Nov! For same meter which had been removed on 2 Nov.

After 6 calls to the centre (useless) I wrote to Newcastle. they responded on 9 May that the matter is in hand. On 20 May I get a new invoice - still not rectified.
This defies belief!
On top of that they have increased the monthly DD and I am now £200 in credit!!
The fight goes on!

[B.Sinha]

In November last year, the Scottish Gas took over my home supply of Gas and Electricity and I was told that I shall get the dual fuel discount. They set-up the direct debit for the Electricity and not for Gas. When I approached them, I was told that there is a problem and they are looking at it. After several telephone calls, I was told that the problem will be sorted out in early January. In January, I telephoned again and I was assured that the problem will be rectified and I shall get the discount from the date the enery supply was taken over by them. Nothing happened, I sent another letter to the Scottish Gas, but no reply has been received yet.

[Fiona K]

These stories echo my encounters with various utility companies (including ISPs) over the years. They ALL treat customers appallingly, and give the impression of utter incompetence.

[gordon, scotland]

I was with scottish power 40 years never a problem,moved house june 2007 inherited EDF.so far no problems,had to phone many times to set up direct debits etc.they did make mistake setting it up so I had to call them a few times,answered phone very quickly and were very polite and friendly.also set up internet connection to view bills and place meter readings,no problems works very smoothly.so far so good.

[T Akhtar]

I have changed supplier from British Gas to eon because they failed to bill me on the meter readings I sent them. I have always paid the bills they sent me previously. As a result, they have billed me for over 2 thousand pounds of unpaid electricity units. I have phoned and emailed them over the last 3 years to request that they provide me with the last bill on which I actually paid on a reading so that we could break down the units used over the years concerned on a pro-rota. I have told them that I would pay the actual cost of units applicable at the time as opposed to the current HIGH cost of the units when the bill was prepared.

I have had numerous threatening letters and phone calls from their MANY different debt collectors and solicitors but each time there is no response to the matter of sorting the bill so I can clear any debt.
I have threatened to go to OFGEM but they are not concerned.

On top of this I have been receiving
fuel debt letters about someone else ( about their debt at their ex-address,at my NEW house( I am the 1st resident of this property)

I feel that fuel companies do not do their job by taking ACTUAL meter readings at a regular interval and should be penalised for this failure.